Backlog overwhelms U.S. Patent and Tradmark Office

John Schmid and Ben Poston of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office “has become overwhelmed by the growing volume and complexity of the applications it receives, creating a massive backlog that by its own reckoning could take at least six years to get under control.” The also found that patents are being denied in record numbers as pressure mounts on the stressed agency. The two-part series includes a searchable database of patents issued in 2008 and an interactive timeline that shows how the U.S. patent system has shaped American history.